Roller-skate



` E "ings, isa specic AUNITEDSTlvrEs.PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. BURTON, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

" UROLLERASKATE.

SPECIFICATION `farming `part `f\IUf.eUtteU1.-s. 'Patent No. 282,156, dated July 31,11`sea `To all whom it may concern: i i l `Be it known that I, GEORGED. BURTON, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have inventedian Improvement in` Roller-Skates, of whichthe following description, in"connectionQwith the accompanying draw- "tion, like letters on thedraw- U` ings representing like parts.

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UMy- 'nventionfrelting to roller-skates has for its object to `:produce a skate having its` rollers bear uponfthe door in line-With one another in a narrow space, and with their axes j U f ment ofthe body of the foot.receiving portion;

y of the skate relative to the rollers, which have' l y ,1. to remain in a substantially vertical position,

of rotation unchangedin angular position relj ativeto the bodyboftheskate, scum the 0p.-

eration willj be almost `the same as that of` the' runner of a skate used upon ice.

` The" rollers or wheels of the roller-skate `have heretofore had broad peripheries, so as to give as large a bearingportion as possible to prevent them from cutting :thefQOS and this construction necessitates a rocking move- "and which, in U consequence, "alsof `have, their axles movable, soas to enable lthem to move in curved paths, the angular position ofthe l skatelupon `therollers; U U U,

The Qrollersof theskateforming the subject l axle being changed by rocking the body of the of the present` invention have the bearing portion of their peripheries of` soft` rubber, projecting slightly beyond the body ofthe roller, which is of hard material, the said rubber thus compressing or spreading out sufficiently to afford a considerable bearing-surface, and being, moreover, of such soft nature asnot to cut the floors, while the proximity of the har'd material forming the bodyof the roller and projecting laterally atzeither side ofthe rub-` l ber, preventsthe latter from `spreading suiiiciently to impede the movement of the skate to an objectionabledegree.` The axles of the i l1 l. rollersfbear upon a series of ballslcontainedin` an annular chamberin bearing-boxes mounted `in pedestals a't either side of the skate beneath the heel andballof thefoot ofthe wearer, `Vsprings being 1interposed betweenthe said bearing-boxes and the body of "the skate, to

` 1 Soabsorb the jarderived from the `uneven sur` faces; y j `"ihepedestals guide the bearingfboxes, U U

pplication filed Jauuaryll, 1883. (No model.)

which thus have a vertical movement `to and other the 'ball of the foot ofthe wearer, the U said portions being movable relative to one another, and "adjusted by means of a bolt, so as to vary the length of the skate `toiit the foot of the wearer; but thus broadly .stated U such a skate is old, and my invention relates to a particular means, as hereinafter "specied and claimed, for accomplishing the object stated.

i Some features of the present invention are T the same as shown and claimed in a former application filed' by me November 17,1882, andare not claimed in the present applica- 151011; l i I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate em- ,bodying this invention, Fig.` 2, transverse seci tion thereof on linea x, on a larger scale; Fig.

3, a vertical section on line y y, Fig.`2; Fig. 4,

a modiiication ofthe bearing for the; rolleraxle, and Fig. 5 a sectional view of a modified form of roller. U

The body of the4 skate is made in two portions, c a', the former adapted to receive the heel and the latter the ball portion of the foot of the wearer, the said portions being movable toward and from one another, by means j U substantially as follows: The portion a is provided with an internally-threaded lug or nut, b, and the portion @"with a lug or socket, Uc, 3o-operating with a bolt, d, working in the nut b, and having a rotary movement in the socket c, its longitudinal movement being prevented by collars e, oneof which may be squared or otherwise adapted to receive a key or wrench for rotating the: said bolt, and thus adjusting U the length of the skate. Each portion a a of the skate is provided at l each side with bearing-pedestalsf, having a passage which receives and servesas `a guide for the bearingboxes g of the axles h of the rollers t, permitting themUto move toward and from the skatebody without change in angular position relative thereto. Springs or cushions lc are inserted in the pedestals f, above the boxes g, to absorb jar caused by the roller passing over an uneven surface and prevent it from bein gtransmitted to the wearer of' the skate.l The bearing boxes g are provided with an annular chamber containing a series of balls, m, surrounding and forming a bearing for the axles h, the said balls being kept apart by a ring,'n, having sockets to receive the said balls, which are thus prevented from rubbing against one another as they revolve in the spaces between the axles and bearing-boxes. The ends of the axles h rest against balls o, held in chambers p at the end of the bearing-boxes, and serving as pivots to receive end pressure of the axle h,

when the skate, with its roller, is i-nclined from the vertical position.

The rollers'consist of a body-portion, t, of wood, metal, or other hard material, and the bearing portion t2 of rubber projecting radially beyond the said hard portion, which is thus prevented from coming in contact with the oor, the said projecting portion of the rubber being expanded laterally and overlying the edges ofthe hard portion when pressure is brought upon it. The hard portion t" of the skate preferably consists of two flanges,

as shown in Fig. 2, 011e of them being fixed f upon the axle h, and the other movable longitudinally thereon and adapted to be pressed toward the other by a nut, 1', mounted upon the axle h, which is threaded to receive it. In this construction the bearing portion consistsof a disk of rubber or equivalent yielding and preferably elastic material placed between the fianges i c, which are pressed together to hold the rubber securely and give it the requisite compression.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the rubber bearing portion consists of a band placed in a suitable-shaped socket in the periphery Vof the hard or main portion i of the roller,

the said hard portion projecting laterally at either side of the rubber and preventing it from yielding too much. Y

In the modification shown in'Fig. 4 the bearing-balls m and their separating-ring n are omitted and a bushing, t, of suitable material employed in their place.

l. In a roller-skate, the body having independent sole and heel supporting portions, one provided with a nut and the other with a corresponding socket, combined with the adjusting-bolt d, working in the said nut, and having a rotary without longitudinal movement in the said socket, substantially as an A rim of yielding material, whereby the rollers have a cushioned movement toward and from .the body of the skate without change in angular position relative thereto, as set forth.

3. The skate-body and bearing -pedestals fixed at either side thereof, combined with the rollers and their bearing-boxes guided by the said pedestals, as described, and the springs (3o-operating with the said boxes, whereby the rollers have a cushioned movement toward and from the body of the skate without change in angular position relative thereto, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' GEO. D. BURTON.' Vitnesses: V

- Jos. I). LrvnRMoRE,

BERNICE J. NoYEs. 

